22 November 2004	Monday	09 Shawwal 1425

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RAWALPINDI, Nov 21: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has decided to launch its mass-contact campaign from Karachi on November 28. The decision was taken in a meeting of the MMA Supreme Council, a spokesman of the alliance told Dawn.

According to the spokesman, the campaign would be started from Karachi where a big public rally would be held on November 28. The next public meetings are scheduled to be held on December 5 in Multan and on December 12 in Lahore, he added.

The campaign will culminate in Rawalpindi where a big rally would be held on December 19 at Liaquat Bagh, the spokesman said. A special meeting took place at Al-Ikram Building here in which arrangements and preparations for the rally were discussed.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MNA Mian Aslam chaired the meeting which was attended by the local MMA representatives including Dr Muhammad Kamal, Raja Abdul Waheed, Syed Uzair Hamid, Malik Gul Hassan, Prof Hamidullah Malik, Raja Zaheer Khan, Muhammad Abbas Butt and others.

Dr Kamal was nominated in charge of the arrangement committee which was tasked with finalizing preparations for the rally till December 19. He will be assisted by a team of six people representing each of the MMA component parties.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the Mianwali district administration has rejected the MMA's request for holding a rally. A spokesman for Mianwali district administration talked to Mian Aslam and apologised granting permission for the rally. But Mian Aslam told him that no force could stop them from their legal right of organizing the rally. A similar ban has been imposed on public gatherings in Chakwal and the local leadership of the alliance has been informed of the decision, the spokesman said.

Our Reporter from Islamabad adds: The venue of the ARD's second public meeting in connection with its masses mobilization campaign has been changed to Muzaffarabad instead of Mirpur.

According to a press release, the change of venue was agreed upon after the alliance's Azad Kashmir leadership recommended that the public meeting be held in the territory's capital to ensure massive turnout for maximum impact.

The second public meeting will now be held on December 13 in Muzaffarbad. The ARD, in its meeting here on Saturday, unveiled the first phase of the alliance's plan to hold a series of public meetings throughout the country.

The first public meeting and rally has been scheduled to be held in Peshawar on December 6, followed by meetings in Muzaffarabad, Sialkot, Sukkur and Sargodha. The venues of public meetings and mode of demonstrations for the next phase of protests will be announced on January 14 in the ARD's public meeting in Sargodha.

Meanwhile, instructions have been sent to all the office- bearers of the alliance to gear up for the public meetings and ensure their grand success. Contingency plans are also being drawn up to meet any eventuality.

Special task forces will monitor progress made in preparations for rallies and also to work out plans in case the administration try to obstruct the public meetings. Another committee is working on slogans and resolutions to be adopted at each public meeting.